Electric time-alarm



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.v

- J. P. TIRRELL.

ELECTRIC TIME ALARM.

No, 489,423. k Patented Jan. 3, 1893.

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THE NORRIS PmEns co.v (mmam-wou WASHINGTON. u. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

J. 'P. TIRRELL. ELECTRIC TIME ALARM.

Patented Jan. 3, 1893.

WT J i ZZ W7 7 Nrrnn STATES PATENT Fries.

JACOB P. TIRRELL, OF BOSTCN, ASSIGNOR TO HERBERT O. EDGERTON, OF-GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC TIME-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,423, dated January3, 1893.

Application filed March 19, 1892.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. TIRRELL, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and 5useful Improvements in Apparatus for Closing and Breaking an ElectricCircuit at Predetermined Times, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide I a simple and reliablemechanism for periodically closing and breaking an electric circuit forvarious purposes, such as the operation of an electric signal bell orthe movement of an electrically controlled mechanical device.

1 The invention consists in the several improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a front elevation of an apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents an edge view of the same; and Fig. 3represents a front view of a part of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.Figs. 4 and 5 represent front elevations of 2 5 parts of the apparatuson a larger scale, and

Fig.6 represents a diagram of the connections.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a time mechanism adapted toclose an electric circuit at any predetermined period or periods of theday or night, for the purpose of giving a signal or permitting theoperation of 5 a mechanical device, such as a detent lever which may becontrolled by the armature of an electro-magnet included in saidcircuit.

0 represents a shaft, which is rotated at a predetermined rate by anysuitable clock mechanism, said shaft being in this case rotated onceeach hour,in the direction indicated by the arrow 00 (Fig. 4). The shaft0' is provided with an arm 0", which is caused by the rotation of theshaft 1" to displace a lever r affixed to a hub or sleeve r which ismounted on a fixed stud r on the supporting frame. Said lever is movedby the action of the arm r from the position shown in dotted lines inFig. l and in full lines in Fig. 4

to that shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 4. 7

Serial No. 425,554. (No model.)

r represents an arm rigidly attached to the sleeve 9", and thereforemovable with the arm W, said arm being provided at one end with a pin orstud W. V

T represents a contact arm or lever, which is pivoted at r and carriesan extension or spring r arranged to cooperate, as hereinafterdescribed,with the stud W. The arm r is insulated from the metallic frame of themachine by an insulating plate 0*. To said frame is connected a Wire rextending from binding post 4' to one pole of a battery q or othersource of electricity.

0" represents a Wheel affixed to a stud r .and provided with ratchetteeth 1" adapted to engage a tooth r afiixed to the shaft 0. Said shaftis rotated once each hour by a suitable clock train including the gearsr 0. There are twenty four ratchet teeth 7", so that the wheel 1' isgiven a complete rotation once in twenty four hours. The wheel 0' isprovided with any desired number of pins r projecting from one of itssides, each pin being of a material which is a conductor of electricityand serving as an electrical contact piece to co-operate with thecontact arm 1", as presently described, in closing an electric circuitincluding the wire W, the metallic frame of the apparatus, the wheel 1'which is of conducting material, the arm r, a wire 25 and a wire rinsulated from the frame, as hereinafter described, and connected withthe battery q, a wheel 25, presently described, of conducting materialin electrical contact with the frame, and contact springs connected withthe wires 1' and t and adapted to make contact with wheel 6. Theextension r of the lever r is provided with an offset or flange r (Figs.1, and 5), which is arranged so that when the lever r is moved by thespring r from the position shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig.4, after the release of the arm 7' by the arm or cam r, the stud r onthe arm T will strike one side of said flange r and thus swing thecontact arm r in such manner as to throw its swinging end into the pathin which the contact pins 0* of the wheel 0" move, as shown in Fig. 5,this operation occurring once in each hour. It will be seen, therefore,that if a pin 0" is in position to make contact with the arm r when thelatter is swung inwardly, the circuit will be closed, the latter beingthus caused to operate a signal bell I) included in the circuit, or tooperate any other electrically controlled device which may be provided.

There may be as many of the electrodes 0' as may be desired, and saidelectrodes may be arranged so that the circuit will be closed at anypredetermined time or times of the day or night. As here shown, thewheel 7' is provided with orifices to receive twelve electrodes "r eachorifice being preferably numbered to indicate the hour with which itcorresponds, it being understood that each orifice will be in positionto cause the contact of a pin held therein with the contact arm r at thehour which said orifice represents. For example, an electrode 7',inserted in the orifice marked 7 in the general division of the diskmarked A. M., will be in position to close the circuit at seven oclocka. m., a pin in the orifice marked 12 will close the circuit at noon, apin in the orifice in the P. M. division marked 1 will be in position toclose the circuit at one oclock p. m., and a pin in the orifice in theP. M. division marked 6 will close the circuit at six oclock p. in.

The circuit closing movement of the lever 1' is preferably retarded sothat the contact arm 1* will be held for a considerable length of timein its circuit closing position, to obviate the liability of its returnto its inoperative position before time has been afiorded for contactwith a pin r To this end I provide a cylinder .9, which is affixed tothe supporting frame and has a piston 8' provided with a rod 8 the outerend of whichisloosely connected with the lever r. The cylinder 5 isclosed at one end and constitutes an air chamber containing an aircushion which retards the inward movement of the piston a. After thestud r has passed beyond the inner end of the flange or off-set r on thearm T the contact arm 0* is released and is moved by a spring 0 to theposition shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the contact arm being thus withdrawnfrom the path in which the pins 0* move.

I prefer to employ a device for automatically making the above describedmechanism inoperative at predetermined intervals, such as every seventhday. Said device includes a ratchet wheel 2?, havingseven teeth, eachcorresponding to one day of the week. Said wheel is arranged to receivea partial rotation once in every twenty four hours, by means of a toothor pin 25' attached to the wheel 0'. To the ratchet t is affixed asegmental metallic rib i having its periphery interrupted by a recess25" corresponding with the tooth of the ratchet which represents Sunday.25 represents a contact spring, which is in electrical connection withthe wire T and is arranged to bear upon the rib t and 25 represents asimilar spring connected by Wire 15 with the arm 0- and also arranged tobear on the rib i The springs t and t are supported respectively byposts if which are attached to and insulated from the supporting frameby an insulating plate 25 So long as the spring i 25", are in contactwith the rib t the circuit is closed whenever the arm 0" strikes a pin0', the circuit including the spring 25, wire 15 arm 9", pin '7', wheelr the metallic frame of the machine, wire 0' battery, wire r spring 25and rib F; but when the recess reaches a position to coincide with oneof said springs, the circuit is broken, so that the contact between thearm r and pins 0' will produce no result. The recess 15" may be of suchlength as to keep the apparatus inoperative from midnight on Saturday tomidnight on Sunday, or for any other desired length of time.

I do not limit myself to the particular devices shown for rotating thewheel 7' and for moving the contact arm at predetermined times into thepath of movement of the contact pins or pieces r and may adopt any othersuitable means for effecting these results.

The details of construction of other parts of the apparatus, such as theretarding device and the device for making the circuitinoperative atpredetermined intervals, may be variously modified without departingfrom the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A circuit closing and breaking apparatus, comprising a wheel providedwith one or more contact pieces or pins, all arranged in a single row orseries which is concentric with the axis of the wheel, all of said pinsmoving in a single path; means for rotating said wheel at apredetermined rate; a contact arm pivotally connected to a fixed supportat a point removed from the axis of the wheel and having its contactsurface normally out of the path of movement of said pins, said armbeing adapted to be moved so as to carry said surface into said path;means for moving the contact arm at predetermined intervals; andelectrical connections, constituting with said arm and wheel an electriccircuit which is closed by contact of the arm with a contact piece onthe wheel as set forth.

2. In a circuit-closing and breaking apparatus, the combination of awheel, adapted to hold a series of contact pieces or pins; mechanism forrotating said wheel at a predetermined rate; a contact arm, adapted tobe moved into the path of movement of said contact pins, and heldnormally out of said path, said arm having an extension provided with anincline or off-set; a lever, and mechanism for oscillating it atpredetermined periods, said lever having a projection which, during oneof the movements of the lever, engages said incline and thereby forcesthe contact arm into the path of the pins; as set forth.

3. In a circuit-closing and breaking apparatus, the combination of awheel, adapted to hold a series of contact pieces or pins, and providedwith ratchet teeth; a contact arm,

adapted to be moved into the path of movement of said pins, and heldnormally out of said path, said lever having an extension, provided withan incline or off-set; a lever adapted to be oscillated and providedwith a projection adapted to engage said incline; and a time train, onearbor of which is provided with a tooth, adapted to rotate said wheelstep by step, and with another tooth adapted to move said lever; as setforth.

4. In a circuit-closing and breaking apparatus, the combination of awheel, provided with one or more contact pieces or pins; means forrotating said wheel at a predetermined rate; a contact arm, pivoted to afixed support at a point removed from the axis of the wheel and havingits contact surface normally out of the path of movement of said pinsand adapted to be moved into said path; means for moving the contactsurfaces into and out of said path at predetermined intervals; and adevice to retard the inward movement of the contact arm; as set forth.

5. A circuit-closing and breaking apparatus, comprising a Wheel,provided with one or more contact pieces or pins; means for rotatingsaid wheel at a predetermined rate; a contact arm,

which is normally out of the path of movement of said pins, and isadapted to be moved into said path; means for moving the contact arminto and out of said path at predetermined intervals; electricalconnections, constituting with said arm and wheel an electric circuit,which is closed by contact of the arm with a contact piece on the wheel;and a device for making said circuit inoperative at predetermined times,said device comprising a segmental contact piece, such as i adapted tobe partly rotated by each complete rotation of said wheel, and havingits continuity interrupted by a recess or opening, and contact springsco-operating with said contact piece, whereby the contact arm is thrownout of circuit when said recess reaches a given point; as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 10th day of March, A.D. 1892.

JACOB I. TIRRELL.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

